Blanche of Navarre, Duchess of Brittany

Blanche of Navarre
Duchess of Brittany
Tenure	1236–1283
Born	1226
Died	12 August 1283 Naples
Burial	Abbey de la Joie, Hennebont
Spouse	John I, Duke of Brittany
Issue Among Others	John II, Duke of Brittany Peter, Lord of Hade Alix, Countess of Châtillon
House	House of Champagne
Father	Theobald I of Navarre
Mother	Agnes of Beaujeu

Blanche of Navarre (1226 – 12 August 1283^[1]), also known as Blanche of Champagne, was the daughter of Theobald the Troubador, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne, and his second wife Agnes of Beaujeu.^[2] She was a member of the House of Champagne. By her marriage to John I, Duke of Brittany she became Duchess consort of Brittany.

Blanche was firstly betrothed to Otto III, Count of Burgundy;^[3] the marriage contract was signed on 16 January 1236. However, the engagement was broken.

Blanche was instead married in 1236 to John I, Duke of Brittany: the main reason he married Blanche was so he could get Navarre, and Theobald did make John heir to the throne. However, John renounced the claim after Margaret of Bourbon bore Theobald two sons. John and Blanche had eight children:

• John II, Duke of Brittany
• Peter of Brittany (2 April 1241–Paris, 19 October 1268), Lord of Hade
• Alix of Brittany, Dame de Pontarcy
• Theobald (1245–1256), died young
• Theobald (died soon after birth)
• Eleanor (1248), died young
• Nicholas (1249–1261), died young
• Robert (1251–1259), died young

Of their eight children, only their eldest three lived to adulthood.

In 1270 Blanche founded the Abbey de la Joie near Hennebont; she was later buried there. She died in 1283; her husband outlived her by three years. Blanche outlived six of her eight children.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Blanche of Navarre, Duchess of Brittany

16. Theobald II, Count of Champagne               8. Henry I, Count of Champagne                       17. Matilda of Carinthia               4. Theobald III, Count of Champagne                             18. Louis VII of France               9. Marie of France                       19. Eleanor of Aquitaine               2. Theobald I of Navarre                                   20. García Ramírez of Navarre               10. Sancho VI of Navarre                       21. Marguerite de l'Aigle               5. Blanche of Navarre                             22. Alfonso VII of León and Castile               11. Sancha of Castile                       23. Berenguela of Barcelona               1. Blanche of Navarre                                         24. Humbert III, Sire of Beaujeu               12. Humbert IV, Sire of Beaujeu                       25. Elisa of Savoy               6. Guichard IV, sire of Beaujeu                             26. Guy de Thiers, Sire of Montpensier               13. Agnes of Thiers                       3. Agnes of Beaujeu                                   28. Baldwin IV, Count of Hainaut               14. Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut                       29. Alice of Namur               7. Sybille of Flanders                             30. Thierry, Count of Flanders               15. Margaret I, Countess of Flanders                       31. Sibylla of Anjou

References

1. thePeerage.com
2. Chronica Albrici Monachi Trium Fontium
3. Cawley, Charles, NAVARRE, Medieval Lands, Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, retrieved August 2012,